RIYADH (Middle East Eye) – Thousands of Pakistanis are at risk of missing the Hajj pilgrimage after their government mistakenly deposited money they had paid for the trip into the wrong Saudi account.
Earlier this week, the chair of Pakistan’s Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Malik Muhammad Aamir Dogar, confirmed the error, which could jeopardize the pilgrimage for 67,000 Pakistanis.
Describing the mishap as one of the “biggest scandals in the country’s history”, Dogar called on the government to explain why approximately 50 million Saudi riyals ($13.3mn) had been mistakenly transferred to an account reportedly linked to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec), instead of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj. The exact recipient of the funds remains unclear.
“This is not just about money,” Dogar said. “It’s about the dreams and faith of 67,000 Pakistanis who may now be left behind.
“Those responsible must be identified - whether in the ministry or among private operators who sold the Hajj packages.
“If Hajj cannot be performed, the money must be returned. We will assess if profits are being earned on the pilgrims’ money.”
Responding to Dogar’s questioning, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, federal minister for religious affairs and interfaith harmony, expressed regret and assured the committee that efforts were underway to recover the funds.
“The money routed through the system will be refunded. We’ve secured an additional 10,000 slots already, and discussions are ongoing for more places,” said Yousaf.
The incident has further compounded a growing crisis in Pakistan over the government’s handling of Hajj, with thousands still in limbo over whether they will be able to perform the pilgrimage this year.
Every year, Saudi Arabia allocates a quota of Hajj slots to countries around the world.
This year, Pakistani government documents indicated that Riyadh had granted the country approximately 179,210 places.
Of that total, government officials set aside 89,605 places for private providers, while Riyadh awarded Pakistani authorities an additional 10,000 places.
However, private operators have only been able to fill 23,000 of their allotted slots. They have blamed the Saudi government’s online system for the shortfall.
Pakistani officials, meanwhile, have accused private operators of deliberately delaying the process.
The error may also have repercussions for Pakistani dual nationals in Europe, North America and South America who had registered for Hajj through Pakistan’s portal.
Thousands have relied on that route since Saudi Arabia took control of the Hajj booking system for countries including the UK and the U.S.